Best Bee Killer Sprays & Powders (Also Work on Wasps)

Updated on by Jared Belson | Please note that there may be affiliate links on this page.

Bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets – these are all very annoying fliers whose stings can hurt a lot. They can cause even more problems for anyone who’s allergic. That’s why I always recommend to all homeowners to keep at least one container of the best bee killers on hand.

Now, whether it’s a spray or powder, it will depend on what type of infestation you’re facing. If you’re moving into a new home, I suggest getting one of each, to be ready for what might happen.

7 of the Best Bee Killers for Residential Use

The BioAdvanced 700420A pesticide comes in 18oz cans. It is a foam formula with a massive expansion ratio of 30:1. It’s one of the best solutions for treating cracks and crevices in and around your home.

Imidacloprid is the main active ingredient. It is a known bee killer that also shows impressive results against ants, beetles, and termites. While it’s not useful against all types of bees, it can take care of burrowers like carpenter bees without much trouble.

After trapping the bees inside their nests, the formula remains active for a long time. That ensures that the poison will spread throughout the entire colony. Imidacloprid is also effective against eggs and larvae, which is why it’s so efficient.

The 700420A foam comes with an extended nozzle. Therefore, it’s easy to get the foam deep into tight places.

  • Very efficient against carpenter bees
  • Fast expansion rate foam
  • Blocks off tunnel exits
  • Easy to use
  • Not effective against all bees

One pound of this insecticide will go a long way towards solving your bee infestation. Deltamethrin is the main ingredient. That means that you can use this powder to treat for roaches, bees, ants, spiders, and many other pests too.

This product is enough to treat up to 1,000sq.ft. It won’t be difficult or time-consuming, given that the canister comes with a puffer applicator.

I also like the extended residual control effect. As long as the weather conditions are favorable, the formula can remain active for up to eight months. Thus, it will continue to kill any new bees that try to establish a colony on your property.

What’s most impressive is that the formula remains quite potent even after the dust gets wet. However, too much rain will cause it to sink into the ground, just as too much wind might disperse it away from your property.

  • Good weather resistance
  • Long residual control effect
  • Large quantity container
  • Puffer applicator
  • Potentially dangerous to some plants

The Bonide 363 Spider and Ground Bee Killer is one of the more affordable ground bee killers on the market. You get two bottle containers of 10oz each, which should be enough to treat a small to medium-sized property.

The formula is based on Permethrin, found in a concentration of .25%. That’s more than enough to kill spiders and ground bees and to provide some residual control as a repellent. Note that it does require the right weather conditions to maintain its residual control.

A snorkel tube-type applicator is on each bottle container. That makes it easy to disperse the dust in a narrow pattern. At the same time, it will help you get it into various cracks and crevices for those bees, ants, and spiders you can’t see.

It may not be suitable against common honeybees, but it should take care of all burrowers, whether they prefer the ground or your walls.

  • Narrow puffer applicator
  • Efficient Permethrin formula
  • Repellent properties
  • Good residual control
  • Won’t help against honeybees

Featuring a 1% Cyfluthrin formula, the Tempo BA1011 insecticide can cover up to 1,000 square feet. It’s not the optimal solution for treating plant beds or inside the house if you have pets. However, it’s great for spot treatments against bees, ants, roaches, and other pests.

The Tempo BA1011 comes in 1lbs containers. Each container has a puffer applicator which makes it easier to disperse the dust and apply it in hard to reach places.

Although widely regarded as a professional insecticide, it’s not that difficult to use by the average homeowner either. Of course, as long as you understand that it’s best to keep it away from food areas and pets.

The dust has decent residual control properties too. But, unlike other powders, it doesn’t kill on contact. However, it shouldn’t take it more than 24 hours to kill off an entire nest of bees or ants. And that’s with only a minimal amount applied.

  • Eradicates nests in under 24 hours
  • Puffer applicator
  • Large quantity container
  • Highly concentrated formula
  • Not the safest to use around plants and animals

The Spectracide 53371 formula is very versatile. You can spray it into various holes, cracks, and directly into tunnels burrowed by carpenter bees.

An extension tube allows for easier application in hard to reach places. The 16oz quantity should be enough for treating the entire house. With that in mind, you can also use this foam inside ground nests too.

Thanks to its rapid expansion rate, you will find that the foam works well even if the ground is not completely dry. The great thing about the foam is that it kills on contact. If you need quick extermination when you move into a new home, this will get the job done quickly. If you’re planning an event on your property, the Spectracide 53371 is the right choice.

That said, as most foam-formulated pesticides, it will not do much against most flyer bees. But, it may help control the wasp population if you use the foam in all the right places.

  • Available in multiple bundle deals
  • Ideal against carpenter bees and other burrowers
  • Great for controlling ground bee populations
  • Narrow extension tube for easy application
  • Limited broadcasting properties

This EcoSmart formula comes in 9oz aerosol spray cans. The sprayer is powerful, and although not adjustable, it can reach a distance of up to 18ft. It is highly effective even at maximum range.

Among the ingredients used, there’s peppermint oil. That and the other oil extracts give the spray a pleasant odor. Although oil-based, the insecticide is non-staining, meaning you can use it without fear on many surfaces.

If you’re looking for an environmentally-safe solution to dealing with bees, wasps, and hornets, then this may be the one for you.

While it may not be the fastest or most potent bee killer, it is one of the most convenient to use. And, even if used outdoors, it will provide some residual control.

I do not recommend it for targeting carpenter bees. Not because the formula couldn’t kill them but because you’d waste too much of the product trying to spray inside small cracks in the walls.

  • Made from natural ingredients
  • Non-staining
  • Environmentally-safe
  • Pleasant minty scent
  • Not efficient against carpenter bees

This bee killer comes in aerosolized 10oz spray cans. It’s there for more extensive applications due to its traditional sprayer design. However, use it from a close enough range, you can get the spray inside some holes, cracks, and crevices too.

Unlike more popular alternatives, the Zevo formula is plant-based and not pyrethroids-based. That means that it’s much safer to use around humans and pets. It also means that it has a pleasant smell, nothing too powerful, or irritating.

The way this formula works is by targeting the nerve receptors found in specific insects, such as those listed on the label. Therefore, it works against quite a few species of bees, but not against many other insects.

What I like most is that the formula is that it’s non-staining. That means that you can use it directly on windowsills, walls, ceilings, and other places where bees might be trying to get into your house.

  • Kills on contact
  • Suitable for broad dispersal applications
  • Non-staining
  • Made from natural oil extracts
  • Harder to control how much product you use

How to Pick the Best Bee Killer

Many insecticides and pesticides can kill bees. But awarding one of them the title of the best is always situational. So how can you pick the best for you?

To do this, you need to know what bees you’re dealing with. Not all of them have the same weaknesses, and not all of them are as easy to target.

Manufacturers make it easy these days as they highlight the targetable species on the label. They sometimes even include them in the name of the insecticide.

But, to pick the right product, you also have to understand some basic principles of how various formulations work.

Foam, Dust, Water or Oil-Based Sprays

You can’t use foams on the ground or spray in the air. I recommend a foam formulation when you want to kill burrowers such as carpenter bees, ants, and even spiders. Once sprayed, the foam expands and cuts off tunnel exists.

Dust or powder formulas are ideal for treating ground nests. Since not all foams may be able to handle wet soil and sprays will get absorbed too quickly, powders succeed where others fail.

Water-based and oil-based aerosolized formulas are the right choice if you want to kill bees mid-flight. Or, if you're going to treat specific entry and exit points of your home. Look for high-traffic areas and spray away.

These formulas should have a decent residual control effect and kill on contact.

Natural Formulas Can Be Great, Too

Although nothing kills insects like synthetic insecticides, there’s something to be said about organic products, as well.

Most modern organic insecticides and pesticides are selective. That makes them great because they won’t kill off the entire bees population. Quite handy if you only want to kill carpenter bees and wasps, and let your honeybees thrive.

Another advantage is that organic insecticides have nothing in their formulas that can contaminate water supplies and food, or hurt animals.

There’s also a big difference in terms of smell. Without any chemical ingredients mixed in, natural bee killer formulas tend to be quite pleasant. That’s because many of them use peppermint oil extract.

The Types of Applicators and How to Use Them

The most common applicator is your standard spray nozzle, just like the one on your can of deodorant. That’s not, however, the best multi-purpose applicator. Without a decent enough range or at least an extension tube, you may not be able to treat all affected areas on your property.

It is also useless for foam formulas. These usually come with a wand-like applicator. The reason is simple. You want to be able to disperse the foam as deep as you can in cracks, crevices, and burrowed tunnels to make sure that all bees will find the poison and take it.

You should also consider a puffer applicator if you’re going to use powder. It makes it easier to do spot-on treatments, even in windy conditions. And it can also help apply the powder in narrow and hard to reach places.

Long-Term Treatments

Unless you notice the bees and wasps populations growing on your property, I don’t think there’s a reason to begin spraying and dusting everything in sight. Since most of these insecticides also provide residual control and kill bees in a matter of hours, there’s no need to rush.

I find this very important to understand, especially if you prefer using synthetic pyrethroid-based formulas. These are often toxic even to plants and animals. Therefore, you probably don’t want to regularly douse your property in them, until there’s an urgent need.

Time to Take Matters Into Your Own Hands

If you want to save a few hundred bucks on calling an exterminator, then picking out a good bee killer and doing the job done yourself is the way to go. Many of the same insecticides exterminators use are also available commercially. That means that finding a high-quality product is easier than you know.

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